Europe 1 with AFP 00:48, January 18, 2023

A Saudi real estate tycoon has paid 2.6 million euros to buy at auction a ticket for the friendly match between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on Thursday in Riyadh, the organizer of the sale announced on Tuesday.

PSG are due to face Cristiano Ronaldo's Saudi side on Thursday at 6pm in Saudi Arabia.

Worthy of a very good salary as a player in Ligue 1. A Saudi tycoon, very active in the real estate sector, paid 2.4 million euros for a place to attend the match of Paris Saint-Germain against the meeting of the two two clubs Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.

Indeed, the meeting will oppose the Paris Saint-Germain of the Argentinian world champion Lionel Messi to a selection composed of the best players of the Saudi formations of Al-Nassr, new club of the Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, and Al-Hilal.

To promote this friendly match, Turki al-Sheikh, adviser to the Royal Court and head of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, had launched a charity auction.

At stake: a ticket to the match with VIP benefits such as photo opportunities with the players and access to the dressing rooms.

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The auction, which started at 1 million Saudi riyals (266,000 dollars, 245,000 euros), ended with an offer of 10 million riyals (2.6 million dollars, 2.4 million euros) made by a real estate magnate, Mushref al-Ghamdi.

The match will be Cristiano Ronaldo's first in the Saudi kingdom since signing from Al-Nassr in late December.

It will precede his league debut, scheduled for Sunday.

The 37-year-old five-time Ballon d'Or winner, who has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Al-Nassr, will receive 200 million euros and as much to be the future ambassador of the probable Saudi bid for the 2030 World Cup. .

In addition to Ronaldo, the selection of players from Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal will include Salem Al-Dawsari, author of the winning goal in Saudi Arabia's surprise success against Argentina during the World Cup in Qatar.

Opposite, PSG will present themselves among others with the Argentinian world champion Lionel Messi, the French vice-world champion Kylian Mbappé and the Moroccan semi-finalist Achraf Hakimi.